A conventional cartridge which holds sheet-type connected staples has been configured to be installed through a fixing link in a magazine of a stapler body in a detachable manner (for example, a patent document 1). Moreover, a conventional cartridge which holds sheet-type connected staples has been provided with a delivery port through which sheet-type connected staples are delivered in the forward and downward direction (for example, the patent document 1). Furthermore, a conventional refill which holds sheet-type connected staples has comprised a staple sheet holder which holds sheet-type connected staples, and a binding band by which sheet-type connected staples and a staple sheet holder are integrated into one piece in a direction in which sheet-type connected staples are sent out, that is, in a direction substantially perpendicular to that of a staple needle (for example, a patent document 4).
Moreover, a conventional cartridge which holds sheet-type connected staples has delivered a laminated sheet-type connected staple at the lowest layer from a delivery port one by one, using a sending pawl mechanism in a stapler body (for example, a patent document 3). Moreover, in a cartridge which holds sheet-type connected staples, the sheet-type connected staples have been pressed by a pressing member which is energized with an elastic member such as a spring provided in a cartridge body (for example, a patent document 2, and the patent documents 1 and 3).
Moreover, electric staplers generally have a configuration in which a number of staples can be discharged, using a motor as a driving source. Among the general electric staplers, there have been known a type of staplers with a configuration in which a cartridge in which a plurality of staple sheets are laminated and held is mounted in a stapler body, and the staple sheets are sequentially sent out from the cartridge to a stapling section and the sent-out staple sheets are sequentially bent into U-shaped ones from a top staple among staples for discharging during stapling operation.
The electric staplers of this type have a sending pawl, and a sending roller as a sending unit by which first a staple sheet at the lowest layer or the uppermost layer is delivered to the outside of the cartridge one by one, and staple sheets are delivered from a delivery port of the cartridge by engaging the sending unit with the upper surface or the lower surface of the above-described staple sheets for moving.
Incidentally, frictional force, which is generated when the upper surface or the lower surface of the staple sheets is engaged with the sending unit, is required to be increased in order to securely deliver staple sheets in the cartridge. Accordingly, an ordinary cartridge for staple sheets has a configuration (for example, refer to a patent document 5) in which the whole staple sheet can be pressed from the opposite side of a sending unit thereto with a spring provided in the cartridge to strongly engage the sending unit with the surface of a staple sheet.
Moreover, a cartridge recently has a configuration in which staple sheets are laminated and held in a refill case, and a refill case can be detached from a cartridge, and the refill case is exchanged as a whole when there is no staple sheets in the refill case. Though an energizing unit such as a spring is required for staple sheets in the above-described refill case, the energizing unit has been provided in the refill case.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Utility Patent Publication No. H4 (1992)-18776;    Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Utility Patent Publication No. H7 (1995)-18538;    Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2001-245595;    Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2689840; and    Patent Document 5: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. H8 (1996)-127461.
[First Problem]
A conventional cartridge that holds sheet-type connected staples is installed in a magazine of a stapler body through a fixing link in a detachable manner, and can be removed from the magazine in a state in which a sheet-type connected staple is sticking out from the delivery port of the cartridge in partway. But, in such a case, there has been a problem that a sheet-type connected staple is broken to cause a trouble such as clogging. Moreover, a conventional cartridge holding sheet-type connected staples has a configuration in which a delivery port is open at any time, and has had a problem that a sheet-type connected staple emits from the delivery port. Moreover, in a refill having a binding band, the binding band prevents a sheet-type connected staple from emitting from a staple sheet holder. But, there has bee a problem that an inconvenience is caused because the binding band is required to be removed in order to send out the sheet-type connected staples with the binding band after the refill is mounted in the cartridge. Moreover, both hands are required to be used for removing the binding band. Accordingly, there has been a problem that the removing can not be realized with one hand.
Furthermore, a conventional cartridge holding sheet-type connected staples has had a configuration in which laminated sheet-type-connected-staples at the lowest layer are delivered one by one from a delivery port with a sending pawl mechanism in a stapler body, and has had a problem that a sheet-type connected staple pulled out is pulled back to cause a trouble such as idle stapling when the sending pawl is returned. In addition, a conventional cartridge holding sheet-type connected staples has had a configuration in which sheet-type connected staples are pressed with a pressing member energized with an elastic member such as a spring provided in a cartridge body and has had a problem in the weight and the cost. Moreover, a cartridge body formed of a soft synthetic-resin material, and an elastic member such as a spring formed of a metallic material are formed of different materials from each other in a conventional cartridge holding sheet-type connected staples, and separate decomposition for each material is required for discarding. Accordingly, there has been a problem that discarding is troublesome. Here, the above-described conventional cartridge is corresponding to the refill in the present invention, and the above-described magazine is corresponding to the cartridge in the present invention.
The present invention has been made, considering the above-described problems, and a first object is to provide a refill for staples which can not be removed from a cartridge unless all sheet-type connected staples in a stapler body are delivered. Moreover, a second object is to provide a refill for staples in which a delivery port is closed at storing and carrying, and the delivery port is opened when the refill for staples is mounted in a cartridge.
Furthermore, a third object is to provide a refill for staples in which sheet-type connected staples can be sent to a delivery port without backward movement. In addition, a fourth object is to provide a refill for staples in which reduction of the main body in the weight and the cost can be realized, based on a configuration in which an elastic member such as a spring formed of a metallic material is not to be required, and separate decomposition for each material is not required for discarding to cause simple discarding. Moreover, a fifth object is to provide a refill for staples in which reduction of the refill in the weight and the cost can be realized, based on a configuration in which there is provided an energizing unit which energizes in the pressing direction a pressing member for a refill holding sheet-type connected staples, and an elastic member is not required in a refill body.
[Second Problem]
Moreover, cartridges and refill cases, which have been used, are discarded. Accordingly, components provided with an energizing unit such as a spring in a refill case have been also discarded to cause adverse effects on environment protection and recycling.
An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge for staple sheets in which an energizing unit can be repeatedly used, and handling is easy.